PREGNANT women who drink just one small glass of wine a week can
lower their unborn child's future intelligence, a new study has
warned.Researchers have only now discovered that some children are
genetically disposed to having their IQ lowered in the future if
their mothers drank during pregnancy.

Even a small amount of alcohol
before birth could have a significant impact on a child's
intelligence by the time they reach the age of eight, scientists
found.Previous studies provided conflicting and inconsistent
evidence on the effects that low to moderate drinking during
pregnancy can have on a baby.

One of the reasons for the discrepancy
has been that other social and lifestyle factors - such as smoking,
diet and wealth - could affect the results of studies.Experts have
warned women of the dangers of heavy drinking while pregnant for the
past two decades. They have outlined how the alcohol can affect a
baby's short and long-term health.

Some guidelines recommend mothers-
to-be to avoid alcohol completely, while others suggest a moderate
intake is safe and poses no risk to their child.The latest study
from the universities of Bristol and Oxford is believed to be the
first to look at the effects of small levels of alcohol consumption.

The study is the first to show genes have a strong bearing on the
effect of alcohol in the womb.Lead researcher Dr Ron Gray said:
"This is a complex study, but the message is simple. Even moderate
amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can have an effect on future
child intelligence. So women have a good reason to choose to avoid
alcohol when pregnant."More than 4,000 women and their children were
assessed as part of the study. Researchers looked at four genetic
variants in the youngsters - all of which are known to influence the
body's ability to metabolise, or break down, alcohol.

The teams
looked at this in connection with the drinking habits of each
child's mother throughout her pregnancy, notably at 18 and 32
weeks.The findings revealed mothers who drank between one and six
units of alcohol per week - anything from a small glass of wine or a
single measure of a spirit to two large glasses of wine - were
likely to have a child with a lower IQ if they were genetically
susceptible to the harmful effects of alcohol while in the womb.At
eight years old, IQ was reduced by almost two points for a
gentically disposed child whose mother drank while pregnant.Children
whose mothers did not drink at all while pregnant were not affected,
even if they had alcohol-sensitising genes, the study in the journal
Public Library of Science ONE found.

Dr Sarah Lewis, of Bristol
University, said the research revealed levels of alcohol that are
normally considered "harmless" can have a negative impact on
childhood IQ.She said: "This is evidence that even at these moderate
levels, alcohol is influencing foetal brain development."

She
described how alcohol passes easily from a mother's bloodstream to
her baby via the placenta. When alcohol enters the body, certain
enzymes convert it to the chemical compound called
acetaldehyde.Variations in genes mean some individuals metabolise
alcohol more efficiently than others. Those who do not metabolise
alcohol so quickly, where alcohol levels persist in the body for
longer, are likely to have the gene which makes them more likely to
suffer ill effects if their mothers drink when they are pregnant
with them.

Dr Simon Newell, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and
Child Health, said: "It's impossible to say what constitutes a
'safe' amount of alcohol a mother can drink as every pregnancy is
different, so our advice to mothers is don't take the chance with
your baby's health - drink no alcohol at all."Danger in a
bottleWOMEN today are advised by the Scottish Government there is no
safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy.

Elsewhere in the UK, the
Department of Health says if women choose to drink, to minimise
risks to the baby, they should drink no more than two units a week.
However, health messages have changed over time.

During the 1960s,
drinking alcohol during pregnancy was generally seen as safe. It
wasn't until 1973 when a US study linked alcohol intake and Foetal
Alcohol Syndrome that it became a concern.In the 1980s research
found a connection between alcohol and a higher incidence of
miscarriage. In recent years more studies have linked IQ and health
to drinking while pregnant.